SC: Long separation is cruelty to both, dissolves marriage

• Supreme Court ruled that a long period of separation between a husband and wife, without hope for reconciliation, amounts to cruelty to both parties.
• The Court dissolved a marriage that had been in litigation since 2003 and where the couple had been separated for 24 years.
• The Supreme Court exercised its plenary powers under Article 142 to dissolve the marriage on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown.
• The ruling emphasized that prolonged matrimonial litigation leads to "perpetuity of marriage on paper" and mental cruelty.
• The Court noted that in this specific case, there were no children, thus no devastating effect on a third party.

Why It Matters: SC: Long separation is cruelty, easing divorce for estranged couples.